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From the collection of National Wool Museum

6450 Items featured online

Machine - French Comb, Schlumberger & Cie, 1964

French Comb

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French Comb

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French Comb

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French Comb

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French Comb

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Historical information

Combing removes the short or broken fibres and draws out the long fibres into even strands suitable for spinning. The process is necessary to produce long and soft strands needed for worsted yarn.

These machines remove the short fibres and blend the remaining long fibres together to form the top. The short fibres that are removed, known as the noil, are used in the woollen system. The long fibres are drawn together, ready for spinning.

To retain as many of the valuable long fibres as possible, a skilled operator always needed to be on duty in the factory to precisely set the machine.

Machine has been completely rebuilt and set up by Nick Sokolov of Comb Research and Development with the help of Bruce Hill and others.

NSC Schlumberger Comb PB25L machine No 3953, year of manufacture 1964. A rectilinear version of the Noble Comb, this machine separated long and short fibres. Donated to the National Wool Museum by Port Phillip Wool Processing Pty Ltd in 1993.